The decision of a police officer to enter into a 'spontaneous chase' of a young couple in the evening at night, has contributed to a crash that claimed their lives, has found an investigation jury today.
Ellie Marsden, 20, and her friend Ryan Duffy, 24, were found dead hours after their vehicle had left the road and collided with a tree near Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria.
Jury members discovered that Mr. Duffy – who had the Citroen Berlingo bus of the pair – was probably that he was being pursued and possibly driven accordingly.
A study after Mortem showed that he was the legal limit for drive drive two and three times, and cocaine and ketamine were also in his system.
Jury members discovered that there were four contributing factors to the tragedy: the intoxicated state of Mr Duffy, the fault of the driver and the fact that he did not wear Mrs. Marsden Safety belts.
The last factor was the decision of PC Craig Stevenson to follow the van of the couple.
Jury members said: “Based on likely, the police officer was busy with a spontaneous chase of Ryan, and this contributed to causing the crash.”
The couple, from Golborne, near Wigan, Greater Manchester, had driven to Cumbria on 4 September 2021 for a short break.
Ellie Marsden, 20, (photo) was killed in a smash next to her partner after their car was followed by the police in 2021
Her friend Ryan Duffy, 24, (photo) suffered from head injury – and also died on the spot
They had booked for a night in the historic Castle Hotel of Appleby – where Mr Duffy told the Duty Manager: “I just want to make her happy with a night out.”
The couple visited the nearby Town Center Hare and Hounds Pub for two hours. Around 12-30 am CCTV images conquered those who left the building and returned to the Citroen Berlingo, who drove further to a main road on the city on the way to the castle.
Their presence was also noticed by PC Stevenson, a standard response officer on Patrol who decided to follow and check the movements of the van. He watched the driver went in the wrong direction along a one -way street.
PC Stevenson continued to follow, looking to stop the van and talk to the driver. His own Ford Transit vehicle data showed that he repeatedly traveled above the speed limit, both in Appleby and then on to rural country roads while, without success, he tried to catch up with the Berlingo.
Both vehicles went to a country road, known as Long Rigg. At that stage, PC Stevenson lost sight of the van. He stopped and sent a radio message to his control room. He was only 170 meters from where the crashed Berlingo was found the next morning at 7.30 am.
“I just had a vehicle from me on the back roads of Appleby,” the officer reported before he turned around.
The research heard that PC Stevenson never succeeded in registering the registration number of the Berlingo or the vehicle during a four -minute trip.
He told jury members the chance to activate blue lights to try a safe break, did not arise.
PC Craig Stevenson, a reaction officer, repeatedly rode above the speed limit while he followed a van with the young couple (depicted: Ellie Marsden)
Response Officer, however, told an investigative jury that he was not involved in a chase (shown: White panel van – Citreon Berlingo)
An image of the River Eden that flows through Appleby in Cumbria
PC Stevenson confirmed that he was trained to follow and stop vehicles, but not to follow a chase that, he explained, a “risky activity” was for every officer or people in a professional vehicle.
In no stage he told jury members, he believed that he was involved in a “spontaneous chase”, as defined by College of Policing Policy. This dictates that if a test subject is aware of the presence of the police, does not stop and starts a chase, a non-trained chase officer must immediately inform and disgrace a control room.
“I didn't believe it was a chase,” PC Stevenson told during the study of the week of a week.
But the jury members unanimously decided that Mr Duffy took evasive action, which resulted in the spontaneous pursuit.
Family members of Mrs. Marsden Wept when the conclusions were hit by a jury foreman.
Coroner Mr. Hart offered his sympathies to the lovers of care assistant Ellie and Ryan, an engineer for Water Company United Utilities.
He said, “There is literally nothing I can say to reduce your loss and the tragedy of your loss.”
